Results 1,461-1,480 of 6,386 for speaker:James Lawless

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Session 2: Industry Perspective (7 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: I refer to the Libra cryptocurrency that Facebook was rolling out. Was that an attempt to in some way address some of the issues around rubles and many other currencies being used in multiple jurisdictions? Was the Libra currency geared towards circumventing some of the traceability and auditing issues Dr. Bickert has just been talking about with the previous speaker?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Session 2: Industry Perspective (7 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: If I understand the position correctly, Libra may assist in concealing some of the issues that have just been discussed. I will move on. Is it the case that, essentially, the only way for political messages to get across on Facebook is by advertising? The algorithms were changed about two years ago because there was a growth of negative news or, to an extent, spam on Facebook. My...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Session 2: Industry Perspective (7 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: Two allegations have been made against Facebook. One is that it promotes addictive behaviours in order to keep users on the platform. The second is that it has exploited its dominant position in some ways. An example that brings those two behaviours together is Facebook's advocacy for video content in recent years. I am told that the statistics for video content supplied by Facebook...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Session 2: Industry Perspective (7 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: Dr. Bickert might come back to me on that. I have a final question. What percentage of Facebook's moderation team globally is made up of company employees and what percentage is made up of outside contractors?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Session 2: Industry Perspective (7 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: Approximately.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Session 2: Industry Perspective (7 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: They are not subject to the same conditions. I have met some of them in Ireland and elsewhere, and I have read the stories. They are certainly not subject to the same conditions. There have been many stories about the harshness, the pay inequality, the difficult conditions they work in and the psychological trauma and mental health issues that have arisen afterwards. They may be subject...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Session 2: Industry Perspective (7 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: My next question is to Google and I am going to keep it tight.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Session 2: Industry Perspective (7 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: Yes. I understand that Google is a search engine and it performs as a directory but I also understand that any content, illegal or otherwise can be retrieved by the search engine because Google's view is that it is a directory. I was perturbed by this when I met Google recently, that it applies to disturbing content, freedom of speech, violent and pornographic content and illegal content....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Session 3: The State of Play in Regulation (7 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: I will be as succinct as possible. I have two questions, one for the Minister, Deputy Bruton, on the Irish environment and the new proposals, and one for the panel as a whole on regulatory enforcement. I welcomed the announcements this week and the Minister alluded to a number of other proposed measures. I look forward to reviewing the details of those when they are published. One of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Session 3: The State of Play in Regulation (7 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: The Minister mentioned the Digital Safety Commissioner Bill 2017. Does the same logic apply to the Online Advertising and Social Media (Transparency) Bill 2017? Is the Minister referring to both Bills?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Session 3: The State of Play in Regulation (7 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: I thank the Minister. I have a brief question for the panel. We are attempting to formulate regulation and legislation and while some countries have had more success than others in that regard, we are all moving in that direction. However, enforcement is the key to legislation and regulatory activity in any sphere. The Data Protection Commissioner has had some success in enforcement and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Session 4: International Collaboration (7 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: Can I ask Mr. Lovett - although I am interested in all views on this - about another old chestnut which is the question of net neutrality, and how we enforce this? How do we aspire to it? This is dual-layered because even if we manage our service providers, and legislate that service providers cannot boost or block particular types or sources of content, social media platforms are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Session 5: Future Collaboration (7 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: I drafted that part of the principles. The thinking behind it is to include this ticker. How we do it is immaterial but it is to include a transparency or disclosure notice such that all of these political advertisements have a ticker tape running beside or under them where the user can click to see who brought it to them, who sponsored it, and who funded it. That gets around many of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Session 5: Future Collaboration (7 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: On another output from the committee, it is important that when we leave here today we have some framework agreed among us for further follow-up actions. We had a discussion earlier with some of the panellists about this, but I am not sure if we reached any definitive conclusion. In the absence of an external framework, the grand committee retains the mantle and it falls on us as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (12 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: 181. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address the shortage of school places for children diagnosed with ASD in north County Kildare; his plans to expand the number of places available at a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46317/19]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Illegal Dumping: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: I am under pressure for time because of another commitment and I appreciate the Chairman allowing me to contribute at this point. I thank the EPA for coming before the committee and I thank Dr. Ryan and his colleagues for their presentation. Dr. Ryan mentioned a particular issue that arose in the programme, which was responded to in detail, but I will raise another issue while I have the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Illegal Dumping: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: Does the EPA does have an ongoing role in monitoring or regulating that facility or similar facilities?

Consumer Insurance Contracts Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (13 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: I support these amendments. I also support the Bill. I welcome the rebalancing from the insurer to the consumer, which is line with consumer law as it has evolved in the last couple of decades. The privity of contract provisions are welcomed also as they bring us into line with the UK jurisdiction in terms of some recent developments there. The disclosure requirements in terms of what is...

Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: I have been in both at times. As Fianna Fáil is aware of the existential threats of Brexit to the economy and the nation, we are facilitating the passage of the Bill and related legislation. We have stood up to that challenge and provided stability and for continuity at a time when it is needed, which is in start contrast to our counterparts in neighbouring jurisdictions, including...

Provision of Accommodation and Ancillary Services to Applicants for International Protection: Statements (13 Nov 2019)

James Lawless: I want to speak to the topic of migration and specifically to refugee status and asylum seekers. I have some limited knowledge and experience of this area. I never purport to step in the shoes of anyone who finds themselves in the most unfortunate situation, but I have had the privilege of meeting many such people. I have met them on their home turf in that I had the opportunity to visit...